Quality Sporrans for less money

**OC Richard** · 17th June 21, 05:10 AM

Good eye, yes that was one of those old standard designs.

About fake leather appearing on otherwise legit Scottish-made sporrans, I have seen it.

From a Scottish maker with a good reputation, a customer brought in a sporran where the tab stitched to the back (that holds the belt/strap) had pulled loose, and you could see that the back panel of the sporran was some kind of bonded leather, leather on the outside but cardboard-like stuff in the middle. Needless to say we were shocked.

Here's a very nice vintage sporran, seal, with an engraved silver (German silver?) cantle.

Nice that the seller gives measurements, which tell us it's a fullsize adult sporran.

It's the older style with a non-opening body, and pocket on back. Not my favourite design due to it not being very roomy. But it's an exquisite vintage sporran probably c1930-1950.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27483576556...ndition=4%7C10

**JPS** · 17th June 21, 06:35 AM

I'm going to put this out there, in hopes that someone can confirm what I suspect. This appears to be a Scottish-made sporran, though there are no markings, and the seller doesn't recall where it's from. He puts the age at around 10 years. Looking through the catalogs that OC Richard has posted, it looks like a good example of the GTSF design, though with the more common flap and plain front that he noted doesn't show up in the usual sales materials. It doesn't look like any style I've seen Pakistani makers trying to replicate.

What's the rabble think? If this is the real deal, I'm going to bite immediately.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124771791469

**OC Richard** · 18th June 21, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by JPS

What's the rabble think? If this is the real deal, I'm going to bite immediately.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124771791469

That's a tricky one, because it looks like a quality sporran, yet doesn't quite fit any of the old standard styles (from W E Scott etc) and lacks a maker's stamp.

The style does look vaguely familiar, let me look at some catalogues.

EDIT: the way it's stitched across the top of the flap reminds me of many of the Forsyth sporrans, though my Forsyth catalogues don't show that particular style. In any case it has a traditional look to it.

**JPS** · 18th June 21, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

That's a tricky one, because it looks like a quality sporran, yet doesn't quite fit any of the old standard styles (from W E Scott etc) and lacks a maker's stamp.

The style does look vaguely familiar, let me look at some catalogues.

EDIT: the way it's stitched across the top of the flap reminds me of many of the Forsyth sporrans, though my Forsyth catalogues don't show that particular style. In any case it has a traditional look to it.

That's my dilemma, as well, no markings. The seller says he bought it about 12 years ago, and he thinks it was UK made, but he doesn't remember.

It reminds me a lot of this, from W.E. Scott, though they don't make it in brown. Maybe they, or a predecessor, did at one time?

Then again, I may be trying to see something that isn't there.
o45ku6.jpg zT4Quk.png

**ShaunMaxwell** · 18th June 21, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by JPS

That's my dilemma, as well, no markings. The seller says he bought it about 12 years ago, and he thinks it was UK made, but he doesn't remember.

It reminds me a lot of this, from W.E. Scott, though they don't make it in brown. Maybe they, or a predecessor, did at one time?

Then again, I may be trying to see something that isn't there.
o45ku6.jpg zT4Quk.png

Looks much like my very first sporran, which I purchased on ebay:

Mine was very inexpensive ($25 or less), and almost certainly from Pakistan or some such as there's no maker's mark.

I'm not a big fan of this style, as I find that the stitched-down flap makes it a bit difficult to access the sporran's contents. It's also not a particularly roomy sporran.

Caveat emptor and all that...

Cheers,

SM

**OC Richard** · 18th June 21, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by JPS

o45ku6.jpg zT4Quk.png

It's an interesting and uncommon flap shape, not one that W E Scott used as far as I know, and not quite like any of the Forsyth ones I've seen, or any other maker that I can recall.

Yet I've seen that flap design somewhere.

EDIT: I've just looked through all my photos of vintage and newer leather sporrans and I can't find that exact flap shape anywhere.

The one I was probably remembering, though it's different as you can see, was the style called TT by WE Scott and several other makers. Still, I know I've seen the flap shape on that Ebay sporran somewhere!

**JPS** · 19th June 21, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

It's an interesting and uncommon flap shape, not one that W E Scott used as far as I know, and not quite like any of the Forsyth ones I've seen, or any other maker that I can recall.

Yet I've seen that flap design somewhere.

EDIT: I've just looked through all my photos of vintage and newer leather sporrans and I can't find that exact flap shape anywhere.

The one I was probably remembering, though it's different as you can see, was the style called TT by WE Scott and several other makers. Still, I know I've seen the flap shape on that Ebay sporran somewhere!

It's puzzling. I guess the simplest explanation is that the seller remembers incorrectly, and he bought it from a Pakistani seller, or it's much older than he thinks, but do you see a similarity between the two pictures I posted? The one on the left is the current W.E. Scott GTSF, and the one on the right is the EBay sporran.

Originally Posted by ShaunMaxwell

I'm not a big fan of this style, as I find that the stitched-down flap makes it a bit difficult to access the sporran's contents. It's also not a particularly roomy sporran.

Caveat emptor and all that...

Cheers,

SM

I really appreciate that info, both about the potential provenance of the sporran, and about its practical qualities. Caveat emptor is a powerful word.

**JPS** · 22nd June 21, 05:16 AM

Here's a rabbit fur day sporran in nice condition with chrome bell tassels. "smells like moth balls" but hopefully a little fresh air and cedar will help that.